Bob Vander Plaats: One issue candidate?

Monday, July 13, 2009, 13:22
Constitution Daily
859 views
17 comments

bvp We all know Bob Vander Plaats is a social and fiscal conservative. His biggest mistake in the past is not going into detail about the state budget, job creation ideas, health care and education reform, and any other issue that falls under the fiscal conservative banner. Is this time different for Bob?

First, Bob was handed a media pass when the Supreme Court ruled on marriage. Bob took almost every opportunity to get out there and let the voters know what he would do. Bob continues to speak on this issue with specific ideas to change Iowa to a pro-traditional marriage state. Basically, Bob has become an expert on this issue. This doesn’t mean I agree with everything he’s saying but he obviously has thought out the issue and is letting others know of his specific ideas.

Over the past few months Bob has become the one issue candidate much like Tom Tancredo in the Iowa Caucus was a one issue candidate. I think the two are very similar in that both do talk about other issues but neither can do an interview without answering questions on their main issue. With Tancredo, if you heard his speeches, you knew he has knowledge on all kinds of topics completely unrelated to immigration but his niche wasn’t the economy or the war, it was immigration and only immigration. Bob is running into the same problem. So whose fault is it?

Well Bob is the candidate so the buck stops with him. Obviously he can’t tell the reporters not to ask the questions but he can become expert on other issues so they have a reason to ask him a question on a different topic. What’s Bob’s great idea for cutting the state’s budget? Seriously, can you answer that? Can Bob answer that? I’ve read where he wants to freeze state employee wages. That’s a drop in the bucket. I think he wants to shrink the size of government but I’ve never heard him say exactly how he’d do that.

I know Bob isn’t stupid so I’m presuming he knows he’s getting backed into a marriage or nothing campaign. But I’ve also seen his campaigns in the past where people were advising him to speak to economic issues and he’s failed to do so. Sure, he’ll offer the talking points but rarely, if ever, give specifics on what programs or taxes he’d cut. You don’t see the press actively pursuing the average Republican Joe for his answers for solving the state’s budget deficit, do you? On the issues of the economy, Bob’s answers are average Joes.

I don’t think it is too late for Bob to develop a good economic message. But I also don’t know if he has it in him. He’s had almost 10 years to offer something on the fiscal front other than talking points and has failed to do so at the level needed to turn some heads his way. If he repeats his past mistakes, he won’t make it past the Primary Election. We shall wait and see.

Tags: Vander Plaats

About the Author

Constitution Daily has written 96 stories on this site.

An Iowa based blog with the purpose of giving incentive to those actively engaged in conservative causes. Content will include Iowa and national issues ranging from politics to everyday society, but in every case you will know where Constitution Daily stands. Please feel free to contact me anytime at constitutiondaily@gmail.com.

17 Comments on “Bob Vander Plaats: One issue candidate?”

HawkCR1 wrote on 13 July, 2009, 14:40
He’s not getting backed into a marriage or nothing campaign..he’s flat out MAKING it his campaign.

He was quoted as saying that he “betting his entire campaign” around the marriage issue, CD…

Read this article printed just today…

http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20090713/OPINION03/907130310/Vander-Plaats-bets-it-all-on-executive-order
Constitution Daily wrote on 13 July, 2009, 15:23
Hawk – I read the article before I wrote the post. I think he’s trying to make a point on how important the marriage ruling is to Iowans and himself. I don’t think he’d proclaim that he’s a one issue candidate or that he’d want to be one. If he would and if I’m giving him too much credit then he hasn’t learned a thing in his almost 10 years of running for governor.
HawkCR1 wrote on 13 July, 2009, 16:20
Well..saying that he’s “betting his entire campaign” around the marriage issue is doing JUST that, CD….so, yeah..I think you are giving him too much credit here..

Note how this article in an Eastern Iowa paper was focused specifically on the marriage issue…nothing about the budget…or jobs…or the economy…

Say what you will about the traditional media…but let’s face it..if BVP continues saying stuff like that…the media is going to continue to focus square on the marriage issue with his candidacy…and thus the “single issue” label begins to stick even further..
gene130 wrote on 13 July, 2009, 18:04
Let me see. The title page says almost 70% of Iowans want to vote on the marriage issue.
So what is wrong with owning the most popular issue? (Hint) If you were FOR gay marriage amongst the sexually befuddled, you would not want a vote since the Leemings already think it is legal and established law.
Mr. Hawk wrote on 13 July, 2009, 19:06
Is anyone dumb enough to believe that there is a chance than any candidate other than BVP will miraculously be revealed by this poll as the candidate best suited to face Culver?

lmao.
Christian Ilene Onum wrote on 13 July, 2009, 22:12
BVP is an former educator and Principal. He has experience in education administration, Health and Human Services, and Business Investment. With the economy in the condition it is in, he will take Culver’s base away from him. Who else comes with those credentials?
Moderation in Everything wrote on 14 July, 2009, 5:59
Chrisitan–you’re delusional. Most of the Repub monied elite as well as my democratic friends are giddy at the prospect of BVP being the candidate. He is simply unelectable. Your comment about BVP taking away Culver’s base shows how far you have stuck your head in the sand.
Constitution Daily wrote on 14 July, 2009, 6:00
Christian – that may all be true but he has never articulated an economic message. Rants and McKinley have.
Christian Ilene Onum wrote on 14 July, 2009, 6:33
CD~ I listened to him speak last weekend and he was casting his vision for Iowa and the economy and kobs was his focal point. He also did speak about education and human services as well as marriage. He is well rounded and is trustworthy. If yo haven’t heard this message from Bob it is either because you only want to hear and make him a one issue candidate, or you have simply quit listening!
Constitution Daily wrote on 14 July, 2009, 7:11
Christian – ok, since I was not at the same event, what did he say about the economy? What precisely would he do to get Iowa back on track?
Deace voted for Obama wrote on 14 July, 2009, 7:23
Perception becomes reality. VP is not a one issue candidate but he has chosen to concentrate on this issue probably partly to appease Deace and Deace followers thinking this is the route to victory in the primary.

Now he has to be willing to die on the EO hill because he created it.

Then along comes the figures that shows Iowa is in terrible economic trouble, thanks to Culver and the Democrats and Rants shows he has a total command of the facts and figures because he’s been there and understands down to the last dollar the problems Iowa faces to get out of this billion dollar crisis Culver and Co. has created.

All those who feel deeply about the gay marriage also know it was Rants who led the Republican charge to do what they could to get the issue on the ballot so Iowans could vote.

VP is probably not our strongest candidate to take out Culver. He has the perception of not being able to pull off the deal.

I know of former county chairs who are not that enthusiastic this time around. He is a very good man and people respect him but is that enough? People also respect others and they do not have the perception of being a loser.
Thinking wrote on 14 July, 2009, 8:11
Constitution Daily,

Let me be up front. I think Rants and VP are the two strongest contenders at this point…frontrunners if you will. I fully understand the argument you are making about VP being a one issue candidate, and I think that will be something he needs to overcome.

Despite that, I feel that your criticisms are unfair for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I think every candidate is to some degree or another a one issue candidate. Take Rants, for example. I would agree that he has a pro-family agenda, but he is a fiscally minded guy. No one is asking if he is a one issue candidate. No one is telling him he should not focus solely on the economy, but should focus on the social issues as well. You could make the argument that he has discussed the social platform, but I would contend that Rants has not laid out his social agenda. Or, in your words, “precisely would he do to get Iowa back on track.” Rants is clearly pro-life and against gay marriage, just as VP is for limited government, less taxes, and correcting the economy. If you use the argument against VP, it applies equally to Rants. Just be fair in your analysis.

Secondly, there are now several people in the governor’s race. McKinley, Fong, and Rants are all economically focused. VP has a strangle hold on the social issues. Why would it be advantageous for VP to surrender 38% of the voting population (according to Craig’s poll the other day) who is passionate about marriage to get in a four-way race with all the other candidates. Articulate why VP needs to anything beyond what he is already doing.
Christian Ilene Onum wrote on 14 July, 2009, 9:07
Thinking~ Very well said!
Constitution Daily wrote on 14 July, 2009, 9:34
Nobody said he would surrender anything by articulating an economic message. I never said drop the talk about marriage or life, just offer economic solutions. He has offered very little on economic issues and what he has offered have been talking points, not real, specific solutions.

Point taken though on being fair to the other candidates. I don’t think anyone out there is sayng Rants, McKinley, or Fong are one issue candidates. They haven’t defined themselves enough to be defined by others…if that makes sence. Once they get out there more, we’ll see if they become experts on one issue or many.
Constitution Daily wrote on 14 July, 2009, 9:35
And Christian – you still haven’t offered what BVP said last week about the economy. I really do want to know.
Thinking wrote on 14 July, 2009, 9:42
Constitution Daily,

“They haven’t defined themselves enough to be defined by others…” I guess your article loses substance when you come to this conclusion. VP has defined one issue, and hasn’t yet defined the other issues-and so he is a one issue candidate. The others, apparently, haven’t defined ANY issues. Sounds like VP is ahead of the race then, right? Either way, I’m struggling to see your article’s criticisms of VP.
Constitution Daily wrote on 14 July, 2009, 10:28
Now that is a stretch of logic. VP has had 9 years to define himself as a gubernatorial candidate. In those 9 years he hasn’t articulated an economic message. The others have been running for weeks…they’ll have time to define themselves.
And I do think VP is ahead at this point but if he continues down this path he will hit a plateau. He may have already. And notice, I wrote that it wasn’t too late for him to develop an economic message that will resonate with Iowans.